St. Vincent

This 280,000 square-foot parking garage expansion for St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon marks yet another revolutionary use of SmartBeam structural steel technology by Stearns.

Originally constructed for future concrete expansion, compliance with recent code revisions would have increased seismic demand due to a significantly larger load mass beyond earlier expectations. This larger load mass and seismic demand would have added costly upgrades had traditional design and concrete construction methods been used. By taking advantage of the SmartBeam extra long-spans and open castellated beams, Stearns converted the 4-story addition to steel, resulting in a cost-effective steel garage structure that is open, light, and extremely attractive.

Stearns' Sr. Project Manager, Dale Williams, explained, “Steel was a logical use over concrete for its significant economies and upgrade advantages. And SmartBeam is a much lighter steel option that places far fewer demands on the existing system.”

Craig Totten, Project Manager for consulting engineers KPFF, pointed to Stearns’ reputation and experience with the use of SmartBeam. “Stearns’ understanding of long-span projects was of great value to our team. It enabled us to meet the project’s budgetary and scheduling needs.”